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Do u know your SPENCER Ancestry, or suspect you do? We Spencers in the U.S. after having done DNA found out some intriguing things. Everyone THOUGHT that ALL Spencers in America came down from the "4 brothers Spencer" who came to US c.1630 from Stotfold, Beds, UK. They were William, Thomas, Michael, Gerard Jr.--all sons of Gerard Spencer,Sr.

But the DNA testing (via "familytrees dna" services thru SHGS --ie -the Spencer Historical and Genealogical Society-ie- <www.SpencerSociety.org>) showed INSTEAD that of the (now) more than 200 Spencer males tested that 85% were NOT of the "4 brothers line" and were actually All UNRELATED to 4bros. and un-related to each other.

ONLY 15% are of the "4 Brothers Spencer" (also known as the "Spencers of Bedfordshire") group.
This group almost certainly (via circumstantial, paper and dna conclusions Evidence) goes along w/ its other 3 branches of SPENCERs whom all descend down from HENRY of BADY (ie-Henry Spencer, Esq.) b.c.1385-d.1476 of Badby, Northants.

The lines down from Henry are......a)the Spencers of Althorp (Diana's line), b) Spencers of Bedfordshire (4 bros. line), and sub-branches off of those two, are.....c)Nicholas of Cople Spencers (ie- Nick jr goes to America c.early 1600s becomes GOVERNOR of VIRGINIA COLONY (his line died-out), and d)Marlborough line (ie-Winston Churchill's clan) of SPENCER-Churchills (churchill is name tagged onto their originating SPENCER surname, in honor of past deceased uncle,the last Lord Churchill-whose heir,his daughter married an Althorp SPENCER).

Ok so what we all are trying to prove. The DNA testing indicated for all the OTHER (non-4bros.Spencers of Bedforshire) participants,that: a) not only were they NOT a genetic "match" for the 4bros. group,(Group #1 in the Dna group testing) but that, b)they fell-in with any of either groups #2-#20, and c) they were told what their Surname WAS "before" it had been Changed TO that of Spencer (which hundreds of families did during middle ages and beyond--once they knew that the new Norman word Spencer--meant a "dispenser of goods and services".

If they no longer, say, were a "Blacksmith" it didn't make sense to be named John SMITH anylonger if he now owned a General Store (dispensing goods/services) so altered his last name to now be John Spencer (this also happened all over Britain even in houses of minor Lords whereby the head stewart took this as his name to reflect his new position as head
of his master's larder).

So we end-up with SPENCERs by the thousands who were Not that Originally---their
y-line (male) genetic surname marker matches INSTEAD a group of Spencers who were formerly, Green, Cooper, Smith, Baker, or whatever. And one is told this if one ends-up NOT matching the 4bros Spencer blood group.

But what of those who DO MATCH Group #1 via dna testing to end-up in the 4bros Spencer group? What are They TOLD?

Only that they "match" the "Spencers of Bedfordshire" 4bros group #1. We are NOT TOLD that we ever had another former surname. Why? Well, obviously LOGIC explains that THIS group of Spencers.....

are the ORIGINATORS and come down from the Original clan who introduced that name into England--ie- that of the Le Despencer group. Henry Spencer of Badby was known to have dropped the de off of in front of his last name in 1300s, and his Will was stamped w/seal of the Despencer arms (same as Diana's family uses today--as do the 4bros Spencers in US).

All the papers, dna, mirroring "looks" across all 4 lines down from Henry Spencer of Badby support this--but...

WHAT IS NEEDED TO PROVE CONCLUSIVELY w/out any further Doubt--is for some OTHER BRITISH lines of SPENCERs today-

--both from the known Marlborough and Althorp lines---but ALSO FROM OTHER NON-KNOWN TO CONNECT Spencer lines in England today TO TAKE THE DNA TEST and if they ALL end UP IN THE 4BROS GROUP---that will PROVE IT ONCE AND FOR ALL---as male y-line dna blood surname "markers" do NOT CHANGE DOWN THRU TIME.

They are passed intact from father to son ad infinitum, ie-endlessly.

Some CLUES you May BE of the particular SPENCERs we are seeking? Predominance of these following first names for your Spencers----Albert (Bert), Charles, Edward, Geoffrey, George, Gerard, John, Michael, Peleg(e) / Peledge, Thomas, William, Wright.

Also if they were very a)political, b)high-achievers, c)entrepreneurial, d)inventors, e)doctors, f)engineers,h)builders, i)into science/medicine/teaching, or...

have a plethora of the following traits: analytical, iconoclastic, wanderlust, inventive/ creative thinker, loved Books/reading/reseach; possessed endless Curiosity; tested at
High IQ; loved gardening or did landscape work or architecture or interior design.....any Spencer who possesses most of these traits ...

is a good candidate for Possibly BEING OF THE SPENCER LINES Sought.....

u receive an info packet telling u Which Spencer group u belong to---and even if u do NOT "match" 4bros line---you end up grouped w/those u ARE BLOOD RELATED To and THEY often have paper work that you don't that will get u further back w/ your own line!